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MAP Growth Science study materials
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MAP Growth Science practice questions

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Question 1Science

Which structure is the basic unit of heredity that is passed from parents to offspring?

  1. A gene Correct answer.
  2. A ribosome
  3. A protein
  4. A cell membrane

Explanation

A gene is a segment of DNA that carries the instructions for a trait and is inherited from parents. Ribosomes build proteins, membranes enclose cells, and proteins are products of gene expression rather than the inherited unit itself.

Question 2Science

A student observes that a metal spoon left in a cup of hot tea becomes warm. Which process transfers thermal energy through the spoon?

  1. Evaporation
  2. Radiation
  3. Conduction Correct answer.
  4. Convection

Explanation

Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy through direct contact between particles, which is how heat moves along a solid metal spoon. Convection moves heat through fluids, radiation travels as electromagnetic waves, and evaporation is a phase change at a liquid surface.

Question 3Science

Which planet in our solar system is closest to the Sun?

  1. Earth
  2. Venus
  3. Mercury Correct answer.
  4. Mars

Explanation

Mercury orbits nearest the Sun, completing a revolution in about 88 Earth days. Venus, Earth, and Mars all orbit farther out, in that order.

Question 4Science

A plant kept in a dark closet for a week turns pale and stops growing well. Which factor is most directly missing for photosynthesis?

  1. Oxygen gas
  2. Soil minerals
  3. Light energy Correct answer.
  4. Carbon dioxide

Explanation

Photosynthesis requires light energy to drive the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into sugar. Without light, the plant cannot produce food efficiently, so growth slows and chlorophyll fades.

Question 5Science

Which state of matter has a definite volume but takes the shape of its container?

  1. Gas
  2. Plasma
  3. Solid
  4. Liquid Correct answer.

Explanation

Particles in a liquid are close together, giving a definite volume, but they can slide past one another, so the liquid takes the container's shape. Solids keep both shape and volume, while gases fill the whole container.

Question 6Science

Which force keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth?

  1. Magnetism
  2. Friction
  3. Air resistance
  4. Gravity Correct answer.

Explanation

Gravity is an attractive force between masses, and Earth's gravity pulls the Moon toward it while the Moon's forward motion keeps it in orbit. Magnetism, friction, and air resistance do not govern orbital motion on this scale.

Question 7Science

A rock sample contains a fossil of a fish. What does this most likely indicate about the area where the rock formed?

  1. It was once a glacier
  2. It was once a volcano
  3. It was once covered by water Correct answer.
  4. It was always a dry desert

Explanation

Fish fossils in rock indicate that the sediment was deposited in a body of water where fish lived. The rock later hardened and may have been uplifted, so the present-day dry location does not rule out a watery past.

Question 8Science

Which organ system carries oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body?

  1. Circulatory system Correct answer.
  2. Digestive system
  3. Skeletal system
  4. Nervous system

Explanation

The circulatory system, including the heart and blood vessels, transports blood that carries oxygen and nutrients to cells. The digestive system breaks down food, the skeleton supports the body, and the nervous system sends signals.

Question 9Science

A student adds salt to water and stirs until no crystals remain. How can the student recover the salt?

  1. Shine light through it
  2. Filter the mixture through paper
  3. Freeze the mixture
  4. Let the water evaporate Correct answer.

Explanation

Salt is dissolved in the water, so filtering will not separate it. Evaporating the water leaves the dissolved salt behind as solid crystals, which is a standard separation method for a solution.

Question 10Science

In a food chain, grasses are eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by frogs, which are eaten by snakes. Which organism is the primary consumer?

  1. Grasshopper Correct answer.
  2. Snake
  3. Frog
  4. Grass

Explanation

Primary consumers eat producers directly, so the grasshopper feeding on grass is the primary consumer. The frog is a secondary consumer and the snake a higher-level consumer, while grass is the producer.

Question 11Science

Two identical carts are pushed with different forces. Cart A is pushed with 10 N and cart B with 20 N. Ignoring friction, how does the acceleration of cart B compare with cart A?

  1. It is four times as large
  2. It is half as large
  3. It is twice as large Correct answer.
  4. It is the same

Explanation

Newton's second law states that acceleration equals force divided by mass. With equal masses, doubling the force doubles the acceleration, so cart B accelerates twice as fast as cart A.

Question 12Science

A cell is placed in a drop of pure water. Water enters the cell and it swells. Which term best describes the surrounding solution?

  1. Hypertonic
  2. Isotonic
  3. Hypotonic Correct answer.
  4. Saturated

Explanation

A hypotonic solution has a lower solute concentration than the cell's interior, so water moves into the cell by osmosis and it swells. A hypertonic solution would draw water out, and an isotonic solution would cause no net movement.

Question 13Science

Which change is an example of a chemical reaction rather than a physical change?

  1. Iron rusting in moist air Correct answer.
  2. Wood being cut into pieces
  3. Sugar dissolving in water
  4. Ice melting into water

Explanation

Rusting forms a new substance, iron oxide, with different properties from the original iron, so it is a chemical change. Melting, dissolving, and cutting change form or arrangement but not the identity of the substance.

Question 14Science

Which statement best explains why the same side of the Moon always faces Earth?

  1. The Moon is too small to rotate
  2. The Moon's rotation period equals its orbital period Correct answer.
  3. Earth's gravity prevents the Moon from spinning
  4. The Moon does not rotate at all

Explanation

The Moon rotates once for every orbit around Earth, a condition called synchronous rotation. This keeps the same hemisphere pointed toward Earth even though the Moon does spin.

Question 15Science

A population of insects develops resistance to a pesticide after many generations. Which process best explains this?

  1. Natural selection acting on inherited variation Correct answer.
  2. The pesticide teaching insects new traits
  3. Insects passing on traits they acquire during life
  4. Individual insects choosing to become resistant

Explanation

Some insects carry inherited variations that help them survive the pesticide, and these survivors reproduce, passing the favorable traits to offspring. Over generations, the resistant form becomes more common in the population.

Question 16Science

A balloon rubbed on hair sticks to a wall. Which explanation best fits this observation?

  1. The balloon loses all its protons to the wall
  2. Friction transfers electrons, creating static charge that attracts the wall Correct answer.
  3. The wall becomes a magnet that pulls the balloon
  4. The balloon gains magnetic charge from the hair

Explanation

Rubbing transfers electrons between the balloon and hair, leaving the balloon with a net static charge. This charged balloon polarizes charges in the wall and attracts it, an electrostatic effect rather than magnetism.

Question 17Science

A student builds a series circuit with two identical bulbs and one battery. If one bulb is removed, what happens?

  1. The battery reverses its polarity
  2. The other bulb becomes brighter
  3. The other bulb stays equally bright
  4. The other bulb goes out Correct answer.

Explanation

In a series circuit, there is only one path for current. Removing one bulb breaks that path, so current stops and the other bulb goes out.

Question 18Science

Which process in the water cycle changes liquid water into water vapor?

  1. Evaporation Correct answer.
  2. Precipitation
  3. Condensation
  4. Runoff

Explanation

Evaporation occurs when liquid water absorbs energy and becomes water vapor, often from oceans and lakes. Condensation is the reverse process, precipitation returns water to the surface, and runoff is water flowing over land.

Question 19Science

Which feature is shared by all living organisms?

  1. They make their own food
  2. They have a backbone
  3. They contain cells Correct answer.
  4. They move from place to place

Explanation

All living organisms are made of one or more cells, which is a unifying principle of biology. Movement, food production, and backbones vary widely and are absent in many living things.

Question 20Science

A block has a mass of 60 g and a volume of 20 cm3. What is its density?

  1. 40 g/cm3
  2. 3 g/cm3 Correct answer.
  3. 0.33 g/cm3
  4. 1200 g/cm3

Explanation

Density is mass divided by volume, so 60 g divided by 20 cm3 equals 3 g/cm3. This value also tells whether the block would sink in water, since it is greater than 1 g/cm3.

Question 21Science

A mutation occurs in a gene that codes for a protein. Which outcome is possible?

  1. The DNA will turn into RNA permanently
  2. The mutation always produces a beneficial trait
  3. The protein's structure and function may change Correct answer.
  4. The organism will always die immediately

Explanation

A mutation alters the DNA sequence, which can change the amino acids in the protein and affect its shape and function. Effects range from harmless to harmful depending on where the change occurs.

Question 22Science

Why does a predator-prey relationship often produce repeating cycles in population sizes?

  1. Predators and prey always have identical population sizes
  2. Prey abundance affects predator numbers, which then affects prey numbers Correct answer.
  3. Prey populations never change in size
  4. Predators do not depend on prey for food

Explanation

When prey are plentiful, predators can reproduce more, which increases predation and reduces prey numbers. Fewer prey then limit predator survival, and the cycle repeats, producing linked oscillations in both populations.

Question 23Science

Two solutions are mixed in a sealed container and the temperature rises noticeably. What can be concluded about the reaction?

  1. The reaction is endothermic and absorbed heat
  2. The reaction destroyed energy
  3. No chemical change occurred
  4. The reaction is exothermic and released heat Correct answer.

Explanation

A temperature rise in a sealed container indicates that the reaction released energy as heat, which is characteristic of an exothermic process. Energy is conserved, so it is transferred to the surroundings rather than destroyed.

Question 24Science

A scientist finds similar fossil species in rock layers on two continents now separated by an ocean. Which explanation best fits this evidence?

  1. The species swam across the ocean
  2. The fossils formed independently by chance
  3. Ocean currents carried the fossils between continents
  4. The continents were once joined and later moved apart Correct answer.

Explanation

Matching fossils on widely separated landmasses support the idea that the continents were once connected and later drifted apart. Continental drift explains the shared species without requiring a crossing of the ocean.

Question 25Science

A sealed container of gas is heated while its volume is held constant. What happens to the pressure and why?

  1. Pressure stays the same because volume is constant
  2. Pressure increases because new gas particles are created
  3. Pressure decreases because particles slow down
  4. Pressure increases because particles move faster and collide more forcefully Correct answer.

Explanation

Heating raises the average kinetic energy of gas particles, so they strike the container walls more often and with greater force. With volume fixed, this increases the pressure, consistent with the gas laws.

Question 26Science

Which type of rock forms when melted rock cools and hardens?

  1. Igneous Correct answer.
  2. Metamorphic
  3. Fossiliferous
  4. Sedimentary

Explanation

Igneous rock forms from magma or lava that cools and solidifies, either slowly underground or quickly at the surface. Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks form through deposition or through heat and pressure acting on existing rock.

Question 27Science

A plant cell is placed in a solution and its central vacuole shrinks as water leaves the cell. What is the surrounding solution best described as?

  1. Isotonic
  2. Hypotonic
  3. Saturated
  4. Hypertonic Correct answer.

Explanation

Water moves by osmosis from an area of higher water concentration to lower water concentration. If water leaves the cell, the outside solution has a lower water concentration than the cell contents, which defines a hypertonic solution.

Question 28Science

Which structure in a plant cell captures light energy used to make sugar during photosynthesis?

  1. Chloroplast Correct answer.
  2. Mitochondrion
  3. Ribosome
  4. Cell wall

Explanation

Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy that drives the reactions of photosynthesis. The other listed structures perform different jobs such as energy release, protein building, or support.

Question 29Science

Which statement correctly describes the particles in a solid compared with a gas?

  1. Solid particles are held in fixed positions and vibrate, while gas particles move freely and far apart. Correct answer.
  2. Solid particles move freely past one another, while gas particles are locked in fixed positions.
  3. Solid particles are farther apart than gas particles and move more quickly.
  4. Solid and gas particles both fill the entire container they are placed in.

Explanation

In a solid, particles are closely packed and held in fixed positions, vibrating in place. In a gas, particles are far apart and move rapidly in all directions, which is why gases expand to fill their container.

Question 30Science

A student measures the mass of an object as 250 g and its volume as 50 cm3. What is the object's density?

  1. 5 g/cm3 Correct answer.
  2. 0.2 g/cm3
  3. 200 g/cm3
  4. 12,500 g/cm3

Explanation

Density equals mass divided by volume. Dividing 250 g by 50 cm3 gives 5 g/cm3, meaning each cubic centimeter of the object has a mass of 5 grams.

Question 31Science

Which human body structure produces the force that moves blood through the circulatory system?

  1. The lungs
  2. The small intestine
  3. The heart Correct answer.
  4. The kidneys

Explanation

The heart is a muscular pump that contracts rhythmically to push blood through arteries and veins. Lungs, kidneys, and intestines support other functions and do not generate the pressure that circulates blood.

Question 32Science

Which observation would provide the strongest evidence that a new substance has formed during a change?

  1. A gas is produced that was not present before, along with a color change. Correct answer.
  2. The material becomes warmer when it is placed in sunlight.
  3. The material changes shape when it is bent.
  4. The material changes from a liquid to a solid when cooled.

Explanation

A chemical change produces new substances, often signaled by unexpected gas production, a lasting color change, or formation of a precipitate. Bending, freezing, and solar warming are physical changes that do not create new substances.

Question 33Science

Which term describes a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time?

  1. Community
  2. Population Correct answer.
  3. Biome
  4. Ecosystem

Explanation

A population consists of individuals of one species in a defined area. A community includes all the different species present, an ecosystem adds the nonliving environment, and a biome is a large region with a characteristic climate and community.

Question 34Science

A toy car rolls down a ramp and its speed increases from 0 m/s to 4 m/s in 2 seconds. What is the magnitude of its average acceleration?

  1. 4 m/s2
  2. 8 m/s2
  3. 0.5 m/s2
  4. 2 m/s2 Correct answer.

Explanation

Average acceleration equals the change in velocity divided by the time interval. The velocity changes by 4 m/s over 2 s, so the acceleration is 2 m/s2.

Question 35Science

Two students pull on opposite ends of a rope with equal forces of 30 N each. What is the net force on the rope?

  1. 30 N in the direction of the second student
  2. 0 N Correct answer.
  3. 15 N toward the rope's center
  4. 60 N in the direction of the first student

Explanation

Forces are vectors, so opposite forces of equal size cancel when added. The net force is therefore zero, and the rope does not accelerate even though it is under tension.

Question 36Science

A student dissolves a spoonful of sugar in 100 mL of water and then adds more sugar until no more will dissolve and crystals remain at the bottom. What is this solution called?

  1. Concentrated
  2. Unsaturated
  3. Dilute
  4. Saturated Correct answer.

Explanation

A saturated solution holds the maximum amount of dissolved solute at that temperature, so extra solute remains undissolved. Dilute and concentrated describe relative amounts but not the limit of dissolving.

Question 37Science

A rabbit population eats plants in a meadow, and hawks hunt the rabbits. If a disease sharply reduces the rabbit population, which change is most likely to occur first?

  1. The hawk population will immediately increase because there is less competition.
  2. The hawks will switch to eating plants instead of rabbits.
  3. The plant population will increase because fewer rabbits are eating it. Correct answer.
  4. The plant population will immediately decrease because fewer rabbits are present.

Explanation

Fewer rabbits means less herbivory, so plant numbers can rise, which may later support more rabbits again. Hawks that depend on rabbits would face less food, not more, and hawks are predators that do not graze on plants.

Question 38Science

A sealed syringe contains air. The plunger is pushed in so the gas volume decreases while the temperature stays constant. What happens to the gas pressure?

  1. It stays the same because no gas escaped.
  2. It increases because the same particles collide with the walls more often in a smaller volume. Correct answer.
  3. It increases because the particles themselves get larger.
  4. It decreases because the gas has less room to move.

Explanation

At constant temperature, gas pressure rises as volume falls because the same number of particles strikes a smaller wall area more frequently. Particle size does not change; only the frequency and area of collisions change.

Question 39Science

A flashlight uses three identical bulbs connected in parallel to one battery. One bulb burns out and stops conducting. What happens to the other two bulbs?

  1. They become brighter because the battery voltage increases.
  2. They stay lit because each branch has its own path to the battery. Correct answer.
  3. They become dimmer because they must share the current.
  4. They go out because the circuit is broken.

Explanation

In a parallel circuit each branch connects independently across the battery, so a broken branch does not interrupt the others. The remaining bulbs keep the same voltage and stay equally bright.

Question 40Science

Which statement best explains why a desert plant such as a cactus can survive long dry periods?

  1. It grows very tall so its roots can reach deep groundwater.
  2. It loses water quickly through large, broad leaves.
  3. It stores water in thick stems and has leaves reduced to spines to limit water loss. Correct answer.
  4. It absorbs most of its water from the air through its flowers.

Explanation

Cacti are adapted to dry habitats by storing water in fleshy stems and reducing leaves to spines, which lowers water loss through transpiration. These structures help the plant conserve the water it does take in.

Question 41Science

A student heats a mixture of two clear liquids in a test tube and notices the tube becomes cold to the touch. What does this observation indicate?

  1. No reaction occurred because the temperature changed.
  2. The reaction absorbed energy from the surroundings. Correct answer.
  3. The mixture underwent only a change of state.
  4. The reaction released energy as heat to the surroundings.

Explanation

A reaction that draws heat from its surroundings is endothermic, so the mixture and container feel colder. Exothermic reactions release heat and would make the tube feel warmer.

Question 42Science

A paleontologist finds that rock layer A contains only simple shelled animals, while layer B above it contains fish and shelled animals. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. Layer A is younger than layer B.
  2. Layer B was deposited before layer A.
  3. Layer A was deposited before layer B. Correct answer.
  4. The two layers were deposited at exactly the same time.

Explanation

In undisturbed sedimentary sequences, lower layers are older than layers above them. Because layer A lies below layer B, it formed first and contains the simpler, earlier forms of life.

Question 43Science

A student adds a few drops of indicator to a solution and it turns a color that indicates a pH of about 3. Which description of the solution is correct?

  1. It is basic and has a high concentration of hydroxide ions.
  2. It is acidic but contains no ions.
  3. It is neutral because it contains water.
  4. It is acidic and has a high concentration of hydrogen ions. Correct answer.

Explanation

A pH of 3 is below 7, so the solution is acidic, meaning hydrogen ion concentration is relatively high. Basic solutions have pH above 7 and higher hydroxide ion concentration.

Question 44Science

During mitosis, a cell with 12 chromosomes divides to form two daughter cells. How many chromosomes does each daughter cell have, and why?

  1. 12, because the chromosomes are copied before division and each cell receives a full set. Correct answer.
  2. 6, because the chromosome number is halved.
  3. 12, because half the chromosomes come from each daughter cell.
  4. 24, because the chromosomes double during division.

Explanation

Before mitosis, chromosomes are replicated, and the copies are separated so each daughter cell receives one complete set identical to the parent. The chromosome number therefore stays the same, unlike in meiosis.

Question 45Science

A certain gene has two alleles. One allele produces a dark coat and is dominant; the other produces a light coat and is recessive. Two heterozygous parents are crossed. What fraction of the offspring is expected to show the light coat?

  1. 3/4
  2. 1/2
  3. 0
  4. 1/4 Correct answer.

Explanation

A cross of two heterozygotes gives genotypes in a 1:2:1 ratio, with only the homozygous recessive genotype showing the recessive trait. That genotype makes up one quarter of the expected offspring.

Question 46Science

A student claims that energy is used up when a ball rolls to a stop on a rough floor. Which statement best corrects this claim?

  1. Energy is destroyed when friction acts on a moving object.
  2. Energy disappears because the ball is no longer moving.
  3. Energy is converted to heat and sound through friction, so total energy is conserved. Correct answer.
  4. The ball loses mass as it slows down, which accounts for the missing energy.

Explanation

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed. Friction converts the ball's kinetic energy into thermal energy and sound, so the total energy stays the same.

Question 47Science

A population of birds lives on an island where most individuals have medium-sized beaks. During a drought, only large, hard seeds remain, and birds with larger beaks survive better. Over many generations, the average beak size increases. Which mechanism explains this change?

  1. The birds intentionally grow larger beaks during their lifetimes and pass the change on.
  2. The beak size changes because the birds migrate to a new island.
  3. Natural selection favors inherited variation that improves survival in the changed environment. Correct answer.
  4. All beak sizes are equally suited to eating hard seeds.

Explanation

Natural selection acts on heritable variation already present in a population. When large beaks give an advantage in cracking hard seeds, those birds leave more offspring, so the trait becomes more common over generations.

Question 48Science

Two atoms of the same element have different mass numbers. Which statement about these atoms must be true?

  1. They are different elements.
  2. They have different numbers of neutrons. Correct answer.
  3. They have different numbers of electrons in a neutral atom.
  4. They have different numbers of protons.

Explanation

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, which changes the mass number. The proton count defines the element, so it cannot differ between two atoms of the same element.

Question 49Science

A sound wave travels from air into water, where it moves faster. What happens to the frequency of the sound wave?

  1. It stays the same because frequency is set by the source. Correct answer.
  2. It decreases because the wavelength changes.
  3. It becomes zero because sound cannot travel in water.
  4. It increases because the wave travels faster.

Explanation

When a wave crosses into a new medium, its speed and wavelength change, but frequency is determined by the source and stays constant. In water the higher speed is matched by a longer wavelength.

Question 50Science

A food chain in a lake includes algae, small fish that eat algae, and larger fish that eat the small fish. If a chemical accumulates in the tissues of organisms and is not excreted, which organism would be expected to have the highest concentration?

  1. The larger fish Correct answer.
  2. The algae
  3. All three would have equal concentrations
  4. The small fish

Explanation

Some pollutants build up in body tissues and become more concentrated at each higher trophic level, a process called biological magnification. The top predator in this chain eats many contaminated prey over its lifetime, so it accumulates the highest concentration.